Bluesman Fernando Jones is actively engaged in bring the arts to Chicago school children through the Gallery 37 program in Chicago and through Fernando's own program, Blues Kids of America.

We've designed a hands on curriculum to educate students and teachers from K-12 about the Blues, its history, its culture, and its significance.

Students will learn how to compose and perform songs while infusing Communications, Geography, History, Language Arts/English, and Math.

Since this music and culture are so "American" it would be fantastic if it could be taught in classrooms throughout America and infused into daily lesson plans.

Even though I have played the Blues from childhood that did not exclude me from listening to, playing, and appreciating other kinds of music, as well. Deep down inside I think I always knew the historical importance and value of this art form and culture because my folks were Blues based folks from Mississippi. Need I say more? That's how [as an adult] I know for a fact that the history of the Blues is an intricate part of America's history; one can't be told without the other. Now that that's been said, wouldn't it seem natural if elementary and high school students were afforded an opportunity to learn some aspects of this wonderful culture either through hands-on workshops, documentaries, lectures, articles and/or books?

Students involved in my Blues Kids of America, Ltd. program, for example, have found the Blues to be informative, inspirational, entertaining, and educational. Surely, there are children today in the same position that I was in as a child, but will they be as fortunate? In many cases, no. So, that's why we have to start at the root. The Blues.

"The Blues is another form of music and if we teach music and music appreciation in our elementary schools as well as high schools and universities, I think that the best place to get started would be at the elementary level because little people are so responsive to rhythm, and sound, and words." 

"The Blues, it's an essential part of the African-American tradition. You can actually trace the migration of Blacks from the South and slavery to the North and freedom through the musical heritage of the Blues. One man has turned his love for the idiom into a unique program he calls Blues Kids of America."

http://schools.cps.k12.il.us/suder/blues_kids_of_america.htm

"Blues in the Schools" Performing at:

Spalding Elementary School

Spring 2000

Participants will learn the history of the blues, in particular how musician, Tampa Red, was influential in the development of Chicago-style blues. Participants will learn Tampa Red songs on harmonica and kazoo, and will work with percussion accompaniment.

Lead artist: Fernando Jones

Teaching Organization: Mayor's Office of Special Events, Blues in the Schools

By Char Whittaker from the 16th Annual Chicago Blues Festival in 1999.

"The set just ending when we got there was called "Blues Kids of America Salute the Centenarians -- Sleepy John Estes, Professor Thomas A. Dorsey and Sonny Boy Williamson II." Chicago guitar player Fernando Jones sang a great tune, "Walked on the West Side (to South Side of Town)". I caught Fernando after his set, and asked him about the Blues kids of America. He said, "It's like Billy Branch's (Blues in the Schools program), but different." See: http://lhq.com/~cabs/feature.htm